 Unless you've been hiding under a rock in the outer Hebrides since about 2004 you'll be familiar with the Web 2.0 (pronounced two-point-oh) moniker. It's bandied about with alacrity by the web-savvy elite, but what exactly does it mean?
Lets start off with what Web 2.0 is not: it's not a new version of Web 1.0. Web 2.0 is not a revolution in technology, it's an evolution in the way people are using technology. It's about harnessing the distributed collaborative potential of the internet to connect and communicate with other like minded people wherever they are: creating communities, and sharing knowledge, thoughts, ideas and dreams.
If you've ever shared photos on Flickr, read and commented on a blog, looked for friends on Facebook or MySpace, watched a video clip on YouTube, tried to find your house on Google Maps, video-called friends or family abroad using Skype or looked up an article on Wikipedia, then you've used Web 2.0 technologies.
Suddenly it seems we've been inundated with version 2.0 of anything and everything as different sectors of society seek to demonstrate that they're current and progressive. We have Business 2.0, Government 2.0, Education 2.0, Careers 2.0... and of course Marketing 2.0. Well, not to be outdone, we'd like to introduce you to the new, improved, Consumer 2.0.
One upon a time consumers were quite happy to sit in front of passive broadcast media, accepting whatever was being peddled their way by editors and programme schedulers. Yes, there was an element of choice – you could buy a different newspaper, listen to different station or choose a different channel – but the ultimate decision in terms of the content available to you rested with somebody else.
Then along came the web, and changed all the rules. Now, with Web 2.0, broadband and rich media content, today's consumers are in control like never before. They can choose the content they want, when they want it, in the way that they want it... they can even create their own and share it with their friends, their peers and the world for free.
'Consumers are becoming better informed, better connected, more communicative, and more in control than ever,' highlights Julian Smith, an analyst with Jupiter Research writing for the ClickZ network. 'They're better informed through the increased ability to access and sift an abundance of information any time, anywhere. They're better connected through the ability to instantaneously communicate with others across time zones and social strata. They're more communicative through the ability to publish and share their ideas and opinions. They're more in control through the ability not only to personalize their information and entertainment consumption, marketing messages, and the products and services they buy, but also to gain satisfaction on demand.'
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The internet is a superb market research tool for your new or growing businesses. It can provide all sorts of useful insight into your industry, your competitors and, most importantly of all, your customers. In this article and the next in our series we take a look at twelve ways that the internet can make gathering marketing intelligence more productive and less costly for your fledgling business.
